Aerolab deny claims of passing on data

Saturday 7th November 2009

Aerolab have denied claims that they passed on Force India information to parent company Fondtech which is now being used in the design of Lotus's F1 car.

Reports emerged earlier this week, claiming that senior management in the Force India have grave concerns that data used in the design of their old car is now being used by Lotus.

Aerolab was the aerodynamic engineering firm that worked on recent Force India F1 cars and is a junior arm of Fondtech, who have been entrusted with the wind-tunnel model of Lotus's 2010 challenger.

Aerolab, though, have strenuously denied passing on information.

"It is quite unusual for us to comment on negative matters but we have been given no other choice but to make public the facts after press reports in recent days suggested that Aerolab has passed on information to parent company Fondtech which enjoys a close technical relationship with Lotus F1 Racing," Aerolab's managing director Jean-Claude Migeot told Autosport.

"These rumours are designed only to tarnish the company's reputation and professionalism and to divert attention away from the facts. The truth is that Aerolab is suing Force India for not fulfilling its obligations."

Your Comments

Brent

"Chylout I agree theft is theft, although it is nothing like the McLaren/Ferrari, hope you feel better having made us aware of your perspective. Actually I was wondering why they would want data from a Force India. I don't think it would help unless it was complete and from the end of the season. Otherwise you wouldn't have a baseline and the direction of thinking of the aero people or the engineers. It might actually move them backwards."

Chylout

"Brent - nobody questioned what stage of the season the Ferrari data in Mike Coughlan's possession was from - different rule for anyone without "Mc" in their name?"

biso9700

"Gambitt, RBR own the data they pass on to them(Toro Rosso), so they are intitled to pass on "any info" to their other team!, theft is theft, no matter whether the data was "helpful" or not!, if Force India own the data in question, they have a legal right to expect any company doing work for them not to pass on, sell or otherwise make that data available to outside parties!, and we all know the penalty to expect if teams are caught with other teams data!"

Brent

"It would depend on what stage of the season the data was from, as to whether it was helpful. There can only be so many aero efficient shapes for F1 cars. You would think if you were a new team Brawn and Red Bull designs would be your focus. All of the new teams likely have a large collection of photos and video, of the successful '09 teams cars. "

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